MY BROTHER DISAPPEARED WHEN HE WAS 16—

My brother Auren vanished at 16. After years of searching, I gave up. My best friend Maris urged me to move on, then left for a job. Recently, I visited her and saw a photo of her with a boy who looked like an older Auren, complete with his scar. Shocked, I asked about it. She claimed it was from a shelter she volunteered at, but her nervous demeanor raised doubts—especially since she’d once skipped school around Auren’s disappearance.

Suspicious, I snooped during a later visit and found a storage key. It led to a unit with letters from Auren to Maris, revealing he’d run away with her help, feeling trapped after our mom’s death and our dad’s drinking. He thought I’d be better off without him. Confronting Maris, she admitted it, saying she protected me from more pain.

I tracked Auren to a bookstore in Langford. We reunited with tears and hugs, rebuilding our bond. Maris and I are scarred but healing. Lesson: People leave to cope, not to hurt, and forgiveness can pave the way forward.